A New Player
by Ninja Ahsoka
Summary: Rex is kidnapped by a new predator, a man never known to Providence. They later find out that there is someone higher up in charge. Is it Van Kleiss? Or is this a new player? (I wrote this a few years ago and I just happened to come across it, so just keep that in mind - )
1. Chapter 1

Another EVO rampage, that's all. Just another normal day, another mission, another everyday fight. The routine was the same, find it, beat it, and cure it. It all seemed normal. But not for Shuki. He had a routine too, but today was going to be different.

The Sahara was hot. The sun radiated on Shuki's face, making beads of sweat forming on his face. He would much rather be in Tokyo, closer to technology and cooler air. But he knew the heat would be worth it after the day was over; he would have what he came for. It was even standing only a hundred yards away. And even though the sun was hot and the air was dry, he was enjoying every minute of it.

Rex was amazing. He was even more so in person. He jumped, punched, shot, all with machines from his nanites. He was like a human generator. Shuki had nanites too, but he knew his were no match for Rex. And Shuki had known this, even before he had seen Rex. So he prepared. The trick up his sleeve had taken a very long time to finish, but it would all come down to strength and technology in the end. He knew technology would be the one to win.

Watching Rex fight was all entertaining and exciting, but Shuki knew it had to end soon. It was taking much too long and Shuki was starting to get impatient. What if he intervened while the fight was still going on? Then no one would be able to chase after Shuki, the giant EVO scorpion keeping them busy. It sounded like a good plan to him, but he knew everything had to go according to plan. He had it all planed out so that there could be no mistake or mess-up. Shuki could already call himself completely successful.

The dessert sky was starting to get darker by the hour, and pretty soon the sun had already traveled behind the dessert sands. It looked like it could end any second. The scorpion was getting pretty roughed up and Shuki knew it what would happen when it was too tired to stand. Rex punched it several more times before the creature roared and collapsed to the ground. And, just as Shuki had expected, Rex placed his hand on the creature's head and blue lights shone through his fingers. And the next thing he knew, there was a man lying in the place of the scorpion that had once been there. Rex had cured it. Shuki found this most elaborating; there wasn't another person alive that could do something as incredible as that!

Shuki watched from the Providence car he was hiding in with amazement in his eyes. He wanted to see more, but he had to do his job. The show was over. He could see the wide grin on Rex's face from his success. He was a pretty good looking kid; he had dark black hair, he was tall, brown eyes, and he had a great body structure. But he wasn't surprised since the kid had probably fighting all his life. And for a slight minute, Shuki felt sorrow for Rex. They probably just locked him up after each mission and don't let him have fun. The society had always been that way, especially the authorities.

The moment Shuki had been waiting for had finally come. Rex was still a little ways from the car, so Shuki opened the door of the car and jumped out onto the sand. There wasn't really any place to hide besides behind the other Providence cars, so he scurried to the one closest to where Rex was coming from to get ready to take action. Shuki was actually quite surprised none of the Providence men had seen him. But not for long.

Shuki set up behind a wheel. He took out a skinny remote from his pocket and pressed the "POWER" button at the top. Rex was getting closer. Shuki typed in his location into the remote and pressed "START". He had tested his gadget many times before, but he still worried that it wouldn't work. But to his relief, an extremely accurate and realistic image of himself appeared a few yards away from the Providence men. It was a hologram from emanating from the satellite in space. No one had realized the satellite's potential to show an image from such a distance, but Shuki had his recourses. Now no one could stop him.

The hologram looked like it was trying to sneak around. And what made the bait even more irresistible to chase was a gun in its hand. It started to run. The crowd of men stopped what they were doing and ran and shot at the image. But what puzzled them is that they couldn't hit him. It even seemed like the bullets went right through him. He must be an EVO then; it was the only explanation.

A second earlier, Rex and Six were still pretty far behind. But now, Rex was already speeding through the dessert on his bike and was far ahead of everyone. Just as Shuki had planned. Rex was just about to ride past the cars and Shuki got ready. The hologram wasn't the only one with a gun: Shuki had one too. Shuki cocked it. Rex was only a few yards away.

Then he passed.

Shuki pulled the trigger and watched the dart fly through the air. It hit its target and Rex's motorcycle shrunk into nothing, leaving Rex lying in the sand, unmoving. Shuki jumped into the providence car he had been crouching behind and hit the gas pedal, heading toward Rex. He hoped the dart had worked, leaving Rex out cold. He could hear the bullets hitting the empty sand. He quickly got out of the car and pulled out a white ring of metal, slipping it onto Rex's wrist. The ring shrunk to fit his wrist and a blue light shone from a small screen. Now when Rex would awake, he would find his nanites useless. Shuki raised Rex onto his shoulder and threw him into the back of the truck. Noticing the men getting closer, he hopped into the driver seat and drove into the night, leaving Providence's men to chase a lifeless image.


	2. Chapter 2

Shuki wasn't surprised at all. He wasn't surprised that he had gotten away so easily. He wasn't surprised his mission was a success and Providence's secret weapon was in the back of his truck. And he was especially not surprised Providence's men were so stupid to not follow Shuki's truck. The only thing that did surprise him was that absolutely no one had followed him. Hadn't it been mysterious, a Providence truck heading the opposite way of their target? At least Six should have noticed; nothing got past him. For a moment, Shuki felt like he was cheating somehow. Maybe Six was playing with him, or maybe he _was_ following him in secret so he could find out where he was hiding. Either way, it scared Shuki. If they found him, he would be in a whole lot of trouble. And it wouldn't be so hard to find him either since Shuki was driving a big Providence truck. He was taking a huge risk not switching cars, but that could be a big risk, too. So far, only one thing was made clear: Shuki hadn't won the race yet.

A soft light started shining out of the horizon and Shuki knew Rex wouldn't be asleep for much longer. He had to drive faster if he wanted his trip inside his warehouse to be easier. Who knew how many tricks the kid had hidden up his sleeve? The device on his wrist only disabled his nanites, not his ability to punch and kick. But if he went over the speed limit or passed lights and drove like crazy, someone would know something was up. He had to keep a low profile, or the game would be over. Shuki turned the wheel at a corner and pounding boomed through the wall.

Shuki had hoped that Rex would think he wasn't being kidnapped, but still found the idea ridiculous. Rex was in a Providence truck, sure, but then surely he would be awake and he definitely wouldn't have ropes tied around his hands and feet. But Shuki still tried to assure himself that there was absolutely no chance he could get out of the truck with Shuki's device around his wrist. But there were still other things worrying him; what if someone found him? What if Rex could somehow communicate with Providence? What if someone was waiting for Shuki to arrive at the warehouse? He tried to get these thoughts out of his head, but the anticipation in him was too overwhelming. But as soon as he was to arrive at Tokyo, he would have all the EVOS there on his side. And, still, Shuki didn't have to worry; Providence had no chance without their secret weapon.

Rex continued to pound on the wall and Shuki was getting tired of it. He wanted to yell at him, but that would do no good for the situation. Rex kept banging for two stoplights until he seemed to realize it was doing nothing for him but racket. After the pounding had finally stopped, Shuki thought he would explode with frustration. Even though they were almost to the warehouse, Shuki was getting very impatient and angry. But it would all be worth it, he kept telling himself. The money will cover _everything._

Shuki was so excited to receive his award, the large warehouse looming into his view was surprising to see. He hadn't realized how long it had been. He was relieved to see the garage ahead.

But a large bang to the side of the truck broke the silence.

Surprise and fear ran down his spine as the truck tipped over onto the cobble road. He had been so close! How could this happen? Shuki looked out the window, holding the edge of his door for support as the car wobbled and saw a huge and strange ship. It couldn't be Providence, he knew. It was a light brown color, made of steel, and hade four metal legs protruding from the lower part of its body. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. He tried to get a better look at what it was doing, but the truck finally tipped over into its side, leaving Shuki on the other side of the truck in the passenger seat barely conscious. He had completely forgotten about Rex until then, and quickly tried to get out of the car to see if he was okay. But the car door was bent and could not be opened. His only hope was the smashed window. He crawled tightly through the small hole, small shards of glass poking his side. He had to get Rex before it hit again. As soon as he was out, he stood up groggily and saw the machine in front of him along with a Providence ship firing at it. Was the brown ship on his side? But there was no time for questions; they could fire again any second.

Shuki ran to the back of the truck as fast as his shaken body could handle and he pushed the doors open. He found Rex lying in the corner of the truck with his eyes closed, a large gash running along his head. In a surge of panic, Shuki crawled in and grabbed Rex's arm and dragged him out. He had heard that his nanites protected him and kept him alive when he got hurt, but the gadget around his wrist wouldn't permit the activity. He tried to run with Rex draped over his shoulder, but the ships started firing at him. Behind him, he heard the truck he had been in minutes ago explode. The shockwaves from the blow knocked him off his feet and he dropped Rex. He then realized why his payment was so high.

He knew it was all over. Their guns were too powerful, their number too great. He wanted to just give them the kid, but his death would be much worse if he did that; his boss would not be happy. So instead of surrendering, he struggled to his feet and scrambled around the wreckage, looking for Rex. Smoke hung heavily in the air, making it hard to see. But his hand brushed against Rex's arm after crawling around awhile in the dust and he once again draped him over his shoulders and got to his feet. Gunshots rang in his ears and he tried to run away. Actually, he _was_ getting away; the gunshots were getting more and more distant with each step and the smoke started to thin out. Maybe he would get his reward after all.

It took about twenty minutes of running for the sounds of Providence to be silenced in the air. He thought for sure they would have caught him. But everywhere he looked, there wasn't a single soul in sight. Shuki decided it was safe for the time and he sat down at the foot of a tree, resting Rex on the grass in front of him. He looked around him and saw trees and bushes in every direction. He was in a forest! He hadn't realized the group of trees when he was driving in. But it was a good sign; the trees meant more protection.

Shuki dropped his head to look down at Rex lying in front of him. The gash on his head had an outline of blood across it and Rex looked deathly pale. He knew that if he didn't take off the bracelet on Rex's wrist, he wouldn't last much longer. There hadn't been any seatbelts in the back of the truck which left Rex unconstrained against the rocking truck. But if he took of the machine, there would be no telling when he would wake. But it was obvious: he had to take it off of him. Shuki reached toward Rex's wrist reluctantly, his finger aiming at the small numeric keypad. His finger hit "**6**", but before he could press the next number, the ground shook, knocking Shuki's finger off Rex's wrist. His wide eyes searched the forest around him, looking for the quake's source. It shook again. Shuki stood up shakily, his head snapping at every corner. The ground continued to shake, making Shuki start to panic. He thought he would go mad of fear until the shaking stopped.

It was silent.


End file.
